Newcomers' Guide 2022-2023

Newcomers’ Guide 2022-23 |

Newton County Discover what makes our community the ‘corner of yesterday and tomorrow’

discover the beauty of home

@discovercovington @cityofcovingtonga @discovercovington @the_cov_ga

Covington Welcome Center 1143 Oak Street S.E. | Covington 770-385-2077

City Hall 2194 Emory St. N.W. | Covington 770-385-2000

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Corner of yesterday and tomorrow.................................................................8 Thousands of jobs planned for new commercial, industrial projects......10 130-plus films, TV shows produced in Newton since 1953.......................13 Roads, landmarks named for modern, past leaders...................................15 Covington Municipal Airport nears 60 years in operation........................18 Newton filled with resources for job seekers...............................................19 Service providers for county homeowners vary based on location.........20 Elected Officials................................................................................................24 Get involved — register to vote, cast a ballot................................................34 Public Safety.......................................................................................................36 Health Care........................................................................................................39 Education...........................................................................................................40 Things to Do......................................................................................................42 Index of Advertisers ........................................................................................50

This magazine is a special publication of

which is published every Sunday and Wednesday by Newton Newspapers, Inc. Patrick Graham

Taylor Beck

OWNER pgraham@covnews.com

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER tbeck@covnews.com

Cynthia Warren

Tom Spigolon

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR cbwarren@covnews.com

NEWS EDITOR tspigolon@covnews.com

Lee Ann Avery

Phillip B. Hubbard

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR lavery@covnews.com

SPORTS EDITOR phubbard@covnews.com

Brian Worton

Alicia Goolsby

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE bworton@covnews.com

LEGALS CLERK agoolsby@covnews.com

CONTACT US Mail • P.O. Box 1249, Covington, GA 30015 Telephone • 770.787.6397 (NEWS) Online • CovNews.com

ON THE COVER Newcomers’ Guide 2022-23 |

Newton County Discover what makes our community the ‘corner of yesterday and tomorrow’

4 | Newcomer’s Guide

Pictured on the cover of this year’s Newcomers’ Guide are scenes from various community locations, events and spectacles both from the past and present.

Design by TAYLOR BECK

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HISTORY

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Newton County, formed more than 200 years ago, has a rich history in the film industry illustrated in the mural above, located on Pace Street in Covington.

File | The News

Corner of yesterday and tomorrow

By TAYLOR BECK

tbeck@covnews.com

COVINGTON, Ga. — Covington Mayor Steve Horton, who has lived in Newton County all his life, said his hometown was “as close to Mayberry as I’ve ever seen.”

Mayberry, of course, is in reference to the fictional, small North Carolina town where renowned television series, “The Andy Griffith Show” was set. The show aired from 1960-1968.

But today, while Covington and Newton County overall are seemingly nowhere close to being sleepy, the community has maintained a small town charm reminiscent of times past while also becoming a Mecca for industry, housing and population growth.

It’s a community fixated at “the corner of yesterday and tomorrow” — a phrase Horton coined around 2007.

“It’s really what makes Covington and Newton County unique,” he said.

“There’s a small town charm here, and heritage and hospitality are still valued greatly where that isn’t necessarily the 8 | Newcomer’s Guide

case in other places. It’s calmer and slower here. Despite growth all around you can still stand on the corner and know where you’ve been but also see where we’re going.”

Horton said he hoped those values never changed.

“People here care a lot about the plight of our fellow man,” he said. “We’re happy when you’re doing well and sad when you’re not. And you don’t have to see it, really. You can feel it. It was on display recently at [the city’s annual Fourth of July celebration] … I hope we never lose our compassion for other people.”

COUNTY’S FORMATION Newton County was named for Revolutionary War hero Sgt. John Newton, and was formed on Dec. 24, 1821, from parts of Henry, Jasper and Walton counties.

According to the online publication the New Georgia Encyclopedia, in 1821 the center of the area’s activity was a settlement called Winton at the Brick Store, a general store and stagecoach stop. The Brick Store still stands but

U.S. Hwy. 278 now covers the stagecoach route.

“State law required that the seat of the new county be as close as possible to the geographical center so a site between the Ulcoufatchee (later Alcovy) and Yellow rivers was designated the county seat, and the surrounding lots were auctioned.

“The new town was named Newtonsboro, but eight months later, in December 1822, the name was changed to Covington in honor of Gen. Leonard Covington, a hero in the War of 1812.”

The county’s other incorporated towns date from throughout the 19th century, with Newborn settled around 1819 while still part of Jasper County; Porterdale settled in the 1820s to establish a foundry; and Mansfield flourished from about 1896, the publication stated.

Oxford was incorporated in 1839 to support Emory College, which was chartered in 1836 in the Newton County town.

In 1919, the college opened a second campus in DeKalb County near Atlanta

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and eventually moved its main campus there to become Emory University.

Emory now operates the original campus as a two-year institution called Oxford College.

Some Newton County unincorporated communities today include Almon, Brick Store, Cornish Mountain, Dial Town, Gum Creek, Magnet, Rocky Plains, Salem and Starrsville and Stewart.

EDUCATION After the consolidation of Newton County and city of Covington schools in 1947, Newton County High School was built in 1950 on Speedway Drive which is known as Newton Drive today, according to the Chamber.

Integration of Newton County public schools began in the 1950s but it was not until the 1960s that Newton County Schools were fully integrated.

The county school district built Eastside in 1994 and it became a high school in 1997. Alcovy High School opened its doors in 2006.

TRANSPORTATION Newton County has had a railroad since 1836, when planters, mill owners, and professional men organized a line from Madison, east of Covington, to the Chattahoochee River near Atlanta.

In 1952 U.S. Highway 278 was built just south of the Georgia Railroad, according to information from the Chamber.

It stated that “though the route did not disrupt a great deal of significantly developed property, it did provide a much needed, and long lasting, change for Covington” that led to the development of new shopping centers and a faster route through the county.

The highway defined a border between the town on its south side and north side, including Covington Mill, according to the Chamber.

In 1977, state transportation officials declared Interstate 20 completed through Newton County and the entire state.

INDUSTRIAL GROWTH By the early 20th century, the county transitioned from total reliance on agriculture to becoming a cloth manufacturing hub.

In 1899 the Bibb Manufacturing Co. built a twine mill on the Yellow River and named it Porterdale Mill after a founder of the community, Oliver Porter, according to information from the city of Porterdale.

“In the 1970s the mill closed and what followed was a deterioration due to the sale of homes, many to landlords who allowed the homes to fall into decay,” the city website stated.

“In 2006 the Porterdale Mill, in ruins,

Despite exponential growth in recent years, Covington Mayor Steve Horton says Covington and Newton County has a small town charm he hopes never fades away.

Special to The News

was purchased and turned into lofts overlooking the Yellow River.”

About a decade after the Porterdale Mill opened, Covington Mill opened and began operating north of the Covington Square, according to information from the Covington-Newton County Chamber of Commerce.

Over the years, the mill closed but other manufacturers both local and national began operating in Newton County.

By the 21st century, thousands were employed at such companies as Takeda Pharmeceuticals, Becton Dickinson and Co., Pactiv Corp., General Mills, Nisshimbo Automotive and more.

Newton County’s population growth was slow but steady for much of its history but boomed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries before slowing again in the 2010s.

FILMING INDUSTRY Known as “Hollywood of the South,” Newton County has become a mainstay in the film industry. Since 1953, more than 130 film projects have been produced in and around the county. Newton County is also home to Cinelease Studios-Three Ring and Triple Horse Studios.

POPULATION GROWTH The county’s population actually decreased between 1920 and 1930. It then grew steadily from 17,290 residents in 1930 to 21,000 in 1960, according to U.S. Census Bureau records.

Newton then followed the course of most suburban Atlanta counties and began growing more rapidly beginning in the 1960s. By 1990, it had nearly doubled in size to 41,808.

And also like other metro Atlanta counties, it grew even more quickly between 1990 and 2010 before slowing in the next decade.

Newton County saw its population more than double and add 59,000 new residents between 1990 and 2010.

By 2000, the county’s population had reached 62,001. But it continued at the same rapid pace and hit 99,958 residents in 2010 — a 61% increase in 10 years.

The Great Recession brought an end to the rapid growth, though.

According to results of the 2020 Census, Newton County added more than 12,000 new residents in the past decade to surge in population to more than 112,000 in 2020. The county’s population grew by an average of 1,252 annually between 2010 and 2020.

The county’s population also has grown increasingly diverse in recent decades, with the Black population growing from 22% of the total population in 2000 to 46% in 2020; and the number of Hispanic or Latino residents in Newton County increasing by more than 50% in 10 years.

Tom Spigolon contributed to this report.

Newcomer’s Guide | 9

DEVELOPMENT

Thousands of jobs planned for new commercial, industrial projects

By TOM SPIGOLON

tspigolon@covnews.com

Major industrial and commercial projects producing thousands of jobs are planned or under construction throughout Newton County.

However, any listing of the county’s top industrial and commercial projects of the past year will be dominated by one not located inside the county but whose size will make it a regional employer once completed.

RIVIAN INC. Electric vehicle maker Rivian Inc. plans to locate its second U.S. production facility on a 2,000-acre site on the north side of I-20, straddling the line between Walton and Morgan counties and adjacent to Newton County’s northeast border.

Construction is expected to begin later this year with production starting in 2024. The plant will employ up to 7,500 and be designed to produce up to 400,000 vehicles a year, officials said.

Gov. Brian Kemp announced in December that Rivian was planning the $5 billion production, research and training facility on the Stanton Springs North site owned by the four-county Joint Development Authority (JDA).

The state and the JDA then announced in March the company is receiving $1.5 billion in incentives to build in Georgia, including tax credits; state and local incentives totaling $1.28 billion; $198 million in state site and road improvements and other projects and services such as a state-sponsored training center.

A Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement with the JDA requires Rivian to make annual payments and meet a number of performance goals, including creation of 7,500 jobs paying an average starting salary of about $55,000 apiece.

Under the agreement, Georgia state government will acquire the land from the JDA and lease it to Rivian. The state government, like other public entities in Georgia, does not pay property taxes on land it owns.

The agreement spelled out the amount the company will give in pay10 | Newcomer’s Guide

Years of planning and development of a site formerly deemed “undevelopable” led to the start of construction of a variety of projects within the multi-use development called Covington Town Center.

Tom Spigolon | The News

ments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) which could total $300 million over 25 years and be shared between the JDA’s four counties, including Jasper, Morgan, Newton and Walton.

Morgan County will receive 14.25%, or almost $43 million, of the taxes received in the PILOT agreement. Newton will receive more than $90 million of the total because it has about a 32% share of any taxes received from business parks the JDA operates.

Georgia Department of Transportation announced related roadwork planned for the plant includes: • Widening of U.S. 278 from Shire Parkway in Newton County to Willow Springs Church Road in Walton County, near an employee entrance to the Rivian site. Start of construction is planned for 2023.

• Construction of a Frontage Road along the north side of I-20 from U.S. Hwy. 278 at the Newton-Walton line to Old Mill Road in Morgan County. Start of work is planned for 2023.

• A new I-20 interchange at Old Mill Road in Morgan County and demolition of the current Old Mill Road overpass.

Construction start is set for 2024.

The production facility will be where

the company produces a new SUV model expected to be more affordably priced than its current vehicles, company officials said in April.

Rivian’s quarterly letter to shareholders stated that the facility would be the production site for its planned R2 platform which will be a more accessibly priced mid-sized SUV than its current line of vehicles.

MORNING HORNET LLC A company called Morning Hornet LLC took ownership of a $42 billion data center project under construction in the Stanton Springs South technology park in northeast Newton County early this year.

The purchase and sale agreement was for more than 628.5 acres of land, priced at $62,500 per acre.

Construction of the data center, which will total approximately 2 million square feet, will be completed in phases, bond documents state.

Phase 1, which is estimated to cost $750 million, is expected to be finished

by Dec. 31, 2026. With 900,000 squarefeet of interior space, the Phase 1 facility’s completion will add approximately 50 new jobs. Phases 2, 3 and 4 facilities are estimated to cost $550 million each

for 400,000 square-feet of interior space per facility, and each phase will have completion dates in 2028, 2030 and 2032, respectively.

As approved by all four counties, Morning Hornet will make payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOTs, starting in April 2027 at $2 million and increase by $1 million every two years until April 2033, totaling $5 million per year. The payments will be due even if the phases are not completed on time.

Newton and Walton counties will receive 37.5% of the revenue, Morgan County will receive 15% and Jasper County 10%.

COVINGTON TOWN CENTER Years of planning and development of a site formerly deemed “undevelopable” led to the start of construction of a variety of projects within the multi-use development called Covington Town Center.

The $300 million mixed-use development project spans 180 acres and is located in an area bounded by Alcovy and City Pond roads and Georgia Hwy. 142 in northeast Covington. The Foxfield Co. is the master developer and anchors for the project are three national chain hotels, a Publix supermarket, a 350-unit apartment complex, 625 townhomes, walking trails and a 29-acre wildlife habitat.

Landmark Properties announced in late June of this year it started leasing The Cove at Covington Town Center apartment community. The 350-unit, market-rate property at 12301 Town Center Blvd. helps fill a serious need for more housing for area industrial employees — many of whom commute from as far away as Augusta, according to local industrial recruiters.

Florida-based chicken tenders restaurant chain Huey Magoo’s announced early this year that one of its franchised eateries would be be open by fall near the Alcovy Road side of the Town Center development. Other nationally-known chain restaurants slated to be part of Town Center were to include Dunkin’ Donuts and Panda Express.

Publix is under construction and will include 48,387 square feet. It will be the anchor store of the Town Center retail area’s 63,000-square-foot first phase — the grocer’s second Newton County location.

The additional 14,400 square feet of small shop space “will offer a complementary mix of services, restaurants, and retail designed to meet the needs of the city of Covington and Newton County’s growing residential and employee population,” a news release stated.

In addition, construction has begun on the hotels planned for the site. They

are set to include Residence Inn by Marriott, Staybridge Suites and Courtyard

by Marriott.

80 ACRES FARMS A nationally-known vertical farming company announced in June it will create 150 new jobs after it opens in northeast Covington and begins distributing to retailers by early 2023.

The company, called 80 Acres Farms, will invest $120 million in its Covington plant that seeks to meet “consumer demand for locally grown fresh produce to address food insecurity and achieve a healthier, more sustainable food supply,” a city government news release stated.

Eighty Acres Farms operates “super-efficient vertical farms” that produce up to 300 times as much food per square foot as traditional agriculture, use 95% less water per pound of produce and minimizes food waste and miles traveled.

The company’s new facility is already under construction in Covington on Industrial Park Boulevard with expected completion by August, said city spokesman Ken Malcom.

BATTERY RESOURCERS Lithium-ion battery recycling startup company Battery Resourcers planned to invest $43 million to open its first commercial-scale battery recycling plant in Covington, Gov. Brian Kemp announced in March.

The facility is expected to generate 150 jobs in Newton County and be the largest of its kind in North America.

Battery Resourcers is based in Worcester, Massachusetts and produces EV-grade batteries. It’s located in an existing 154,000-square-foot facility on Industrial Drive in Covington.

The facility will be able to process 30,000 metric tons of discarded lithium-ion batteries and scrap annually — the equivalent of 70,000 vehicle batteries per year — at full production.

Major brand investors of Battery Resourcers include Jaguar Land Rover, Orbia, TDK, TRUMPF Group, Doral Energy and Hitachi.

SKC INC. SKC Inc. announced in October 2021 it will create more than 400 new jobs as it works with several business partners to manufacture a part for semiconductor chips in a new facility on its longtime Covington site.

The company will invest more than $473 million in this “unprecedented venture” to create glass-based substrates for the chips in Newton County, the governor’s office announced today.

SKC expects to ramp up production by late summer 2023, a news release stated.

The new facility will be developed on

the SKC property at 3000 SKC Drive and will primarily be hiring high-tech engineers, skilled technicians, and other semiconductor field-experienced talent, the release stated.

COVINGTON LOGISTICS PARK City officials and developers gathered Thursday, Sept. 9, in Covington to break ground on a possible 167-acre industrial development project.

Located off Hazelbrand Road, Ashley Capital intends to build up to four industrial buildings totaling 1.7 million square feet to anchor Covington Logistics Park.

Covington Mayor Steve Horton said the development would fill a need for Class A industrial space. The lack of space has discouraged businesses from locating or expanding in the area, he said.

IN THE WORKS City of Covington officials in mid-July were publicly discussing the possibility of a major employer locating on a site near the Covington Airport.

Also, a 4-million-square-foot industrial park development now called Covington Industrial Park has been proposed on land in northeast Covington that could be valued at $500 million when entirely built out.

Its mix of uses also could lead to employment of up to 3,000, a developer said.

Covington city government filed a notice with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs July 12 that a Development of Regional Impact (DRI) was planned for the site.

The proposed industrial park development will consist of a total of 4.08 million square feet of buildings for warehousing and manufacturing on 478 acres when completed by 2030, according to the DRI. The 478-acre site is located in an area north of Alcovy Road, south of Flat Rock and Gregory roads, and east of Georgia Hwy. 142. Entrances are planned at Hwy. 142 for heavy truck traffic, with a new traffic signal proposed there; and at Alcovy Road where lighter traffic will be sent, the developer said.

Construction is planned in two phases, including 2.4 million square feet in phase one and 1.6 million square feet in phase two, said Covington chief planner Marc Beechuk.

The developer is listed as Buford-based Newton Land Investments LLC whose principal agent is John B. ”Jay” Williams, according to information filed with the Georgia Secretary of State’s office. Property owners include Southpoint Land Co. LLC; JBW Investments LLC and JF Land Investments LLC, according to the DRI. Newcomer’s Guide | 11

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FILMING

Production crews film scenes in Covington for season three of popular Netflix series “Sweet Magnolias.”

Special to The News

130-plus films, TV shows produced in Newton County since 1953

By TOM SPIGOLON

tspigolon@covnews.com

COVINGTON, Ga. — Newton County has become both a mecca for the TV and film industry and for tourists attracted to the locations for the productions filmed here.

Covington and Newton County are known as the “Hollywood of the South” — a nickname the Covington-Newton County Chamber of Commerce trademarked in 2012.

Currently, parts of Covington serve as the location for the fictional Serenity, South Carolina, on Netflix’s “Sweet Magnolias.”

Covington served as a stand-in for Mystic Falls, Virginia, where the TV show “The Vampire Diaries” was set. It ran from 2009-2017 on The CW network and spawned spin-offs for the popular show, including “The Originals” and “Legacies.”

“Diaries” also continues to have a cult following and fans from throughout the country flock to the Covington Square for walking tours of show locations. The show’s popularity reportedly led to Newton County becoming one of the leaders in film tourism in Georgia following a 300% increase in visitor numbers since 2009, according to Covington tourism coordinator DJ Waller.

“Any given day, you will see fans of the show meandering around the Square, walking up and down Floyd and Conyers Streets, shopping in our stores and eating in our restaurants,” Waller said in 2020.

Waller said “Sweet Magnolias” also had the potential for drawing a similar influx of fans to see its filming locations.

TOURISM A BENEFIT Among the more popular stops for film tourists is Twelve Oaks Bed and Breakfast, a mansion built in 1836. It has served as the location for almost 100 TV shows and films, including “Vampire Diaries.”

The Mystic Grill restaurant on the Covington Square also is a popular stop for tourists as is Vampire Stalkers, which offers a guided tour of filming locations and a gift shop for “Diaries” fans.

Covington’s Welcome Center includes a Film and History museum, which was made possible through collaboration with the Newton County Historical Society.

The museum includes memorabilia from the popular TV shows and movies filmed in the Covington area, such as “The Vampire Diaries” and its spin-off, “The Originals.” It also includes items from such classic, Covington-filmed shows as “The Dukes of Hazzard” and

“In the Heat of the Night.”

Welcome Center Coordinator Ron Carter told The Covington News in April the addition of the museum was needed because of the amount of tourists drawn to the area because of its film history.

“We have people coming in on a weekly basis for ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ and ‘In the Heat of the Night,’ but most definitely the biggest influx of people is going to be your ‘Vampire Diaries’ and ‘The Originals,’” Carter said.

“We say that film tourism is kind of the highlight of what we can do here. We also offer recreational tourism, cultural tourism and historical tourism, but film is our kind of bread and butter, so to speak.”

Carter said the city generally averaged about 40,000 to 45,000 visitors a year before the pandemic. He estimated 75% are film tourists and, of those, 80% are specifically visiting for “Vampire Diaries.”

STUDIOS OPEN, OPERATING Cinelease Studios-Three Ring began operating in late 2020 on 160 acres on Georgia Hwy. 142 two miles north of I-20 in Covington.

It has more than 110,000 square feet of sound stage space, 60,000 square feet of stage support space, 30,000 square feet of office space, and an additional 110 Newcomer’s Guide | 13

acres for location filming, according to information from the company.

Gov. Brian Kemp helped Cinelease break ground for its planned $144 million expansion in March. He joined co-owners Rahim Charania and Cary Goldman, Cinelease Studios General Manager Gannon Murphy and others for a ceremonial Golden Shovel event to celebrate the expansion set to cover more than 50 acres.

The facility is owned and developed by a joint venture between Charania of Atlanta-based real estate firm Woodvale, and Goldman of Chicago-based real estate firm Timberhill Group.

Triple Horse Studios operates off Bob Williams Parkway in Covington. It includes sound stages, scenic operations, camera, lighting and grip equipment departments as well as a post-production division with screening rooms, editorial, sound, foley, visual effects, color grade and finishing, according to information on its website.

Producer / Director Karl Horstmann founded Triple Horse Studios in 1991.

Triple Horse is a “Content Creation Company originally built to ensure excellence in each of Horstmann’s productions, regardless of budget and time constraints, and has grown to carry his and affiliated projects from development, into physical production, and complete-

Cinelease Studios-Three Ring began operating in late 2020 on 160 acres on Georgia Hwy. 142 two miles north of I-20 in Covington.

Special to The News

ly through the post process.”

The studio used Covington as the location for its 2017 Dove Awards-nominated film “The Case for Christ.” Its latest production is “Fallen Angel: Call Sign Extortion 17,” about an Army helicopter carrying 17 members of the elite Navy SEAL Team 6 being shot down in Afghanistan.

A HISTORY OF FILMING Newton County has served as a location for television and movie productions for decades. The film “A Man Called Peter” got the ball rolling in 1953 and more than 130 films and TV shows have been produced in Newton County.

Classic TV series like “The Dukes of Hazzard,” and “In the Heat of the Night” and more than 60 film productions have filmed in Newton County.

The first season of the famed 1980s se-

ries “The Dukes of Hazzard” was filmed in Covington.

“In the Heat of the Night,” a TV series based on the 1967 film of the same name, was filmed in Covington during seven of its eight seasons from 1988-1995. According to information from the classic TV network GetTV, which airs episodes of the original show, the first season was filmed in Louisiana.

“For season two, production moved to Covington, Georgia. There were no soundstages in Covington, so producers retrofitted two warehouses for standing sets like the police station,” according to GetTV. Films which used Newton County as locations include “My Cousin Vinny,” Disney’s “Flash,” “The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All” and HBO’s “Miss Evers’ Boys.”

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R f

Roads, landmarks named for modern, past leaders

By TOM SPIGOLON

tspigolon@covnews.com

Newton County has a number of roads, sections of highways and landmarks named for individuals who have had hands in the area’s development.

Here are a few of them: TURNER LAKE PARK Turner Lake Park is a county-owned recreation complex that includes 158 acres and a 26-acre lake on Covington’s west side.

It is named for Nat S. Turner, who was a major cotton broker, owner of Covington Mills and a co-founder of the Bank of Covington — now Truist Bank.

Turner built a cabin on what is now Turner Lake Park in 1929 and bought the 158 acres from the Hendricks family.

Members of his family created the 26acre lake sometime thereafter, said his great-grandson, Frank Turner Jr. “After my grandmother died, the

consensus in the family was to sell it to the county for a park rather than see it developed,” he said.

The county government bought the land and lake with money from a 1995 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST).

Turner Lake Park now includes a 34,000-square-foot, multi-use building housing a meeting room, full-service senior center, gymnasium, and offices for the county’s Senior Services and Parks & Recreation department offices.

It also includes four lighted softball fields and support buildings, a youth football and cheerleading field, covered pavilion, picnic area, three-mile walking trail, tot lot and playground, and two batting cages.

LAKE VARNER ROY & AARON VARNER HIGHWAY The county’s main drinking water source in northeast Newton is named in

LANDMARKS

John R. Williams was the owner of Williams Brothers Lumber Co., which opened in 1922 and operated 10 stores in Metro Atlanta before it sold to Home Depot in 2005.

Tom Spigolon | The News

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Turner Lake Park is a county-owned recreation complex that includes 158 acres and a 26-acre lake on Covington’s west side.

Special to The News

honor of the late Roy Varner, who served as chairman of the Newton County Board of Commissioners from 1976-1992.

Varner is credited with being instrumental in creating the lake as a reliable drinking water source for the county. It was funded with proceeds of the 1986 SPLOST. He also helped secure the right of way for the Covington Bypass Road; and helped expand the county fire department, jail and animal control center, according to a 2010 General Assembly resolution in his honor.

Roy Varner’s son, Aaron Varner, served as Board of Commissioners chairman from 2000-2008.

The Georgia General Assembly in 2010 designated a section of Georgia Hwy. 36 from Henderson Mill Road to Georgia Hwy. 212 as Roy and Aaron Varner Highway.

Aaron’s contributions included building the Newton County Administration Building on the former site of a Kroger grocery store; promoting the construction of Georgia Perimeter College, now Georgia State University’s Newton campus, near Social Circle; and building five fire stations, the resolution

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stated.

JACK & DAVIS MORGAN MEMORIAL HIGHWAY The Georgia General Assembly in 2009 honored the late Jack Hays Morgan Sr. and Davis Morgan, who both served as Board of Commissioners chairmen.

The Assembly designated a section of U.S. Hwy. 278 between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Georgia Hwy. 142 as the Jack and Davis Morgan Memorial Highway.

Jack Hays Morgan Sr. died in 2009 at age 89. He is credited with being part of the post-War World II development of Newton County when he opened the county’s first pulpwood yard, Morgan Timber Co., and later founded the area’s first grading and paving services in Morgan Concrete Co. He served as Board of Commissioners chairman from 1968 to 1976 and oversaw the creation of the county’s first ambulance service, and other services. Jack Morgan also served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives in the 1960s.

His son, Davis Morgan, was a businessman and served as county chairman from 1992 to 2000. He is credited with spearheading several projects including the Turner Lake complex, the Newton County Library, the Law Enforcement Center, the Judicial Center and Stanton Springs technology park. He died in 2004 at the age of 49.

Davis Morgan’s widow, Kathy Morgan, was elected the first female county chairman in 2008 and served until 2012 — meaning either Varners or Morgans chaired the Board of Commissioners for 44 consecutive years.

JOHN R. WILLIAMS HIGHWAY Part of Georgia Hwy. 142 between I-20 and U.S. Hwy. 278 later was named in honor of a major player in Metro Atlanta’s home construction boom of the 1990s.

Before Home Depot and Lowe’s, Williams Brothers Lumber Co. was among the leading building material suppliers in the area.

John R. Williams was the owner of Williams Brothers Lumber Co., which opened in 1922 and operated 10 stores in Metro

Atlanta before it sold to Home Depot in 2005.

Both John and brother Bob lived in Newton County and were instrumental in operation of First National Bank of Newton County, now Synovus.

John Williams helped convince GDOT to build the Alcovy Road interchange with I-20 in the late 1960s after GDOT opened I-20 with only two Covington exits.

DOWNTOWN COVINGTON STREETS The Covington City Council in 1889 adopted the names of Brown, Church, Clark, College, Conyers, Corley, East, Elm, Floyd, Hendrick, Lee, Monticello, Pace, Railroad, Reynolds, South, Spring, Stone Mountain, Usher, Washington and West streets. Only Railroad Street was renamed and is now Emory Street.

Floyd Street was named for Judge John Julius Floyd, who built a house on the street.

Dearing Street was named for Dr. John J. Dearing, who owned a large plantation between Covington and the Alcovy River. Dearing operated a mercantile business in downtown Covington for many years after working as a physician.

CROWELL ROAD Crowell Road reportedly was named for the late county recreation department leader B.C. Crowell, who was hired as Porterdale athletic director in 1947 and lived in a house at the corner of Crowell and Brown Bridge roads.

Crowell Road runs between Georgia Hwy. 81 in Porterdale and I-20. It is part of a continuous loop road that includes Georgia Hwy. 142, Industrial Park Boulevard, John R. Williams Highway, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Covington Bypass.

FORREST “PREACHER” SAWYER MEMORIAL PARKWAY The Georgia General Assembly named this section of Georgia Hwy. 81 (Washington Street) in Covington from Monticello Street to the Porterdale city limits for Forrest “Preacher” Sawyer Sr., who was a founding member of the Newton County Voters League and an active member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and helped in the development of the Washington Street Community Center. He served as a Covington City Council member from 1981 to 1993.

HOMER SHARP STADIUM The athletic stadium shared by the county’s three public high schools off Mill Street was built in 1956 and named for Homer Sharp, the first principal of Newton County High

School from its formation in 1949 until 1971. Sharp helped lead the campaign for its construction.

DENNY DOBBS PARK This 15-acre county park is on Georgia Hwy. 212, across from Porter Memorial Library, and includes such amenities as a splash pad, pavilion and skate park.

It opened in 2010 and is named for Denny Dobbs, who represented Newton County in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1980 to 1998.

CHARLIE ELLIOTT WILDLIFE CENTER The 6,400-acre Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center off Georgia Hwy. 11 south of Mansfield is managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. It is named for Covington resident Charles Newton Elliott who served as the first director of Georgia State Parks in 1937, commissioner of the state Department of Natural Resources in 1938 and the first director of the Game and Fish Commission (now known as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division) in 1943.

PORTER MEMORIAL LIBRARY: The Newton County library’s name dates to 1944 when it opened in a basement room of the Historic Courthouse in Covington. It later operated in the front rooms of the Covington Gym on Conyers Street until 1978 when it moved to a former post office building with the help of grants from James Hyde Porter fund. It was renamed for Porter, a philanthropist who owned and operated Bibb Manufacturing Co. for decades in Porterdale — a town named for his father, Oliver Porter.

The current library was built in 2011 on Georgia Hwy. 212 in west Newton.

JUDGE HORACE J. JOHNSON JR. JUDICIAL CENTER Superior Court Judge Horace J. Johnson served as a judge in the Alcovy Judicial Circuit from 2002 until his death from complications of COVID in July 2020.

Johnson grew up in the Sand Hill community of Newton County, attended Washington Street School and was among the first Black students to integrate Ficquett Elementary School.

He graduated from Emory University after attending Oxford College, and earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Georgia Law School.

Gov. Roy Barnes appointed Johnson as Newton County’s first Black Superior Court judge in 2002.

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TRANSPORTATION

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Covington Municipal Airport nears 60 years of service

By PHILLIP B. HUBBARD

The Covington Municipal Airport is located at 14100 Ga. Hwy. 142 in Covington.

Special to The News

phubbard@covnews.com

COVINGTON, Ga. — The Covington Municipal Airport has been a fixture in the Newton County community since it was built in the early 1960s. Since its inception, the airport has serviced the area in various ways.

Located at 14100 Ga. Hwy. 142 in Covington, this airport is a general aviation airport owned by the City of Covington.

It also provides service to surrounding areas.

The idea behind an airport in Covington began when a bond issue in 1958, in the amount of $20,000, was procured for an airport project. The 2,500-foot long, 75-foot wide paved taxiway, an aircraft parking apron and an administration building were constructed and began operation in 1963. Just a few short years later, the runway was extended by 500 feet.

In 1970, an eight-unit hangar and a repair shop was added to the airport’s facilities. By the early 1980s, the airport consisted of a 3,000-foot paved and lighted runway, a 20,000-square-foot yard paved apron and taxiway, a hanger shop and administration buildings, a rotating beacon and a radio beacon.

In the near 60 years of the airport’s existence, it has seen substantial growth.

For instance, in 1963, there were just seven aircraft based at the airport with 5,700 takeoffes and landings. In 1980, there were 50 aircraft with a total of

35,000 takeoffs and landings that year.

In 2023, the Covington Municipal Airport will celebrate its 60th year of service to the local area, but it has no plans to slow down anytime soon.

At present, the Covington Airport has a 6,000-feet long and 100-feet wide runway with a paralell taxiway. It also has approximately 45 aircraft, according to transportation manager, John Hendrix.

It offers services such as Southern Air Group, Aerodox, Air Methods LLC and FAA Examiner. Amenities of the airport include fuel, full kitchen with snacks, two conference rooms and a pilot’s lounge. The airport is also comprised of 700 acres of land, which includes land available for private hagars to be built.

According to Covington’s assistant city manager, John King, the airport has many great qualities.

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“Conveniently located 35 minutes from downtown Atlanta and within minutes of Interstate I-20, the Covington airport is ideal for travelers trying to access downtown, south and east Atlanta,” King said. “The airport has, and is attracting business to the area by offering quality facilities, such as FBO, AWOS, instrument approaches, and some of the lowest cost fuel in north Georgia. Hotel and conference facilities are only minutes away, and corporate development sites are available.

“The Covington Municipal Airport offers aerospace businesses the opportunity to take advantage of numerous incentives and opportunities.”

For more information on the Covington Municipal Airport and its services, visit ​​https://www.covingtonmunicipalairport.org/#about or call 770-787-0098.

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EMPLOYMENT

Newton filled with resources for job seekers Georgia Department of Labor Covington Office Going through the Georgia Department of Labor is a great way to help your job search be a successful one.

A career office, located at 7249 Industrial Boulevard, N.E. in Covington, which serves Jasper, Newton and Walton counties, is currently temporarily closed to the public. However, job seekers may visit dol.georgia.gov to use a variety of tools to help them kickstart their career.

Employ Georgia is a tool that allows users to create an account, build or upload a résumé, view job postings and save job searches to receive notifications of new job postings.

Job seekers may also utilize other tools on the website to explore career options and properly plan their job hunt.

If the online tools aren’t in your wheelhouse, or maybe aren’t available to you, try calling the Covington career

IT’S

center at 770-784-2455.

Newton County Chamber of Commerce In partnership with its member businesses and local industries, job seekers may utilize the Newton County Chamber of Commerce as another resource in their hunt for a new position.

Members of the workforce looking for a job or simply looking to move up the career ladder can search through a list of positions found at business. newtonchamber.com/jobs/. Positions for hire are updated regularly, and these positions range anywhere from Newton County and beyond.

Don’t want to bother with the online format? Call 770-786-7510 or stop by the chamber at 2101 Clark Street in Covington, and they’ll help you in person.

GPTC Regional Job Fair Each year, Georgia Piedmont Technical College teams up with Newton

and Walton county partners and stakeholders to host one of the largest hiring events in the state of Georgia — the Regional Job Fair.

Dozens of industries participate in the event each year.

Organizers also offer a series of free pre-job fair workshops to job seekers to help prepare them for the event.

Goodwill of North Georgia also provides free blazers for job seekers to “upgrade” their look.

To learn more, visit gptc.edu/regional-job-fair/.

The Covington News Don’t forget about the newspaper!

There are often job opportunities posted within The Covington News’ Classifieds section.

Visit CovNews.com or call 770-7876397 to subscribe to the newspaper for as little as $5 per month, or find copies at the nearest newsstand for only $1.

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Newcomer’s Guide | 19

UTILITIES

p

Service providers for county homeowners vary based on location

Y

By TOM SPIGOLON

tspigolon@covnews.com

ou have moved into a new residence somewhere within unincorporated Newton County or its five cities.

Now what?

The following is a listing of ways to contact most utilities providers for service in Newton County. Your provider will vary, depending on where you live: Electric service: • Snapping Shoals EMC: 770-786-3484 www.ssemc.com https://www.ssemc.com/ApplyforService.aspx • Central Georgia EMC: 770-775-7857 www.cgemc.com

https://bill.cgemc.com/onlineform/ Application%20for%20Service/Application%20for%20service.aspx • Walton EMC: 770-267-2505 www.waltonemc.com https://www.waltonemc.com/index. php/myaccount/service/start-service/ • Georgia Power: 888-660-5890 www.georgiapower.com https://customerservice2.southerncompany.com/CustService/StartService/FindAddress • City of Covington: 770-385-2000 http://cityofcovington.org/index. php?section=electric3 http://cityofcovington.org/ckeditorfiles/files/Utility_NewApplicationFill-

able.pdf • City of Oxford: 770-786-7004 www.oxfordgeorgia.org https://www.oxfordgeorgia.org/Assets/Files/UtilityApp.pdf • City of Mansfield: 770-786-7235 www.mansfieldga.gov https://www.mansfieldga.gov/Assets/ Files/Services/UtilityDeposits/ApplicationforUtilityServices.pdf Water and sewer: • Newton County Water & Sewerage Authority: 770-787-1375 www.ncwsa.us https://ncwsa.us/customer-service/ • City of Covington: 770-385-2000

“ It is important to understand the past in order to interpret the present, and plan for the future.”

— Linda D. Hays

Mrs. Linda D. Hays The Clerk of Courts It is my honor to serve the citizens of Newton County 20 | Newcomer’s Guide

NEWTON COUNTY CLERK OF SUPERIOR COURT 1132 USHER STREET, SUITE 338 COVINGTON 770-784-2035 • ALCOVY CIRCUIT.COM

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http://cityofcovington.org/index. php?section=electric3 http://cityofcovington.org/ckeditorfiles/files/Utility_NewApplicationFillable.pdf • City of Mansfield 770-786-7235 • City of Newborn 770-787-1660 • City of Oxford: 770-786-7004 • City of Porterdale 770-786-2217 Natural gas service: • For city residents, contact City Hall for provider.

• For residents outside cities, a list of Public Service Commission certified providers is at https://psc.ga.gov/utilities/natural-gas/list-of-certified-marketers-and-contact-information/.

Internet/telephone/cable TV: • AT&T, Spectrum, Xfinity, Earthlink, ViaSat and HughesNet are among the providers in Newton County.

Garbage service: • City residents should call their respective city hall to request how to establish service.

Some private haulers who serve unincorporated Newton County include: • Burgess Hauling Phone 770-787-3182

• Clean Earth Sanitation Covington, GA 30014 Phone: 770-787-3182 • Curbside GFL

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ELECTED OFFICIALS ALCOVY JUDICIAL CIRCUIT SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES Chief Judge John M. Ott Office Address: Walton County Government Building 303 S. Hammond Drive, Suite 221 Monroe, GA 30655 Phone: 770-267-1339

Judge Jeffrey L. Foster Office Address: Walton County Government Building 303 S. Hammond Drive, Suite 221 Monroe, GA 30655 Phone: 770-267-1339

Judge Cheveda D. McCamy Office Address: Judge Horace J. Johnson, Jr. Judicial Center 1132 Usher Street, Room 220 Covington, GA 30014 Phone: 770-784-2080

Judge W. Kendall Wynne, Jr. Office Address: Judge Horace J. Johnson Jr. Judicial Center 1132 Usher Street, Room 208 Covington, GA 30014 Phone: 770-788-3781

Judge Layla H. Zon Office Address: Judge Horace J. Johnson Jr. Judicial Center 1132 Usher Street, Room 208 Covington, GA 30014 Phone: 770-784-2180

DISTRICT ATTORNEY Randy McGinley, District Attorney Newton County District Attorney’s Office: 1132 Usher Street, Room 313 Covington, GA 30014 Phone: 770-784-2070 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

24 | Newcomer’s Guide

NEWTON COUNTY CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS Melanie Bell, Probate Judge Office Address: Judge Horace J. Johnson Jr. Judicial Center 1132 Usher Street, Rm 148, Covington, GA 30014 Phone: 770-784-2045

Ezell Brown, Sheriff Office Address: Newton County Sheriff’s Office 15151 Alcovy Road NE Covington, GA 30014 Phone: 678-625-1401

Linda D. Hays, Clerk of Courts Office Address: Judge Horace J. Johnson Jr. Judicial Center 1132 Usher Street Room 338 Covington, GA 30014 Phone: 770-784-2035

Marcus Jordan, Tax Commissioner Office Address: 1113 Usher St NW # 101, Covington, GA 30014 Phone: 770-784-2020

NEWTON COUNTY CORONER Tommy Davis, Coroner Office Address: Newton County Coroner’s Office 1124 Clark Street Covington, GA 30014 Phone: 678-625-1218

NEWTON COUNTY CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATES U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia 4th Congressional District District office: 5240 Snapfinger Park Drive, Ste. 140 Decatur, GA 30035 Phone: 770-987-2291 Website: https://hankjohnson.house.gov

U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, R-Greensboro 10th Congressional District District office: 100 Court St. Monroe, GA 30655 Phone: 770-207-1776 Website: https://hice.house.gov

NEWTON COUNTY GENERAL ASSEMBLY DELEGATES

Rep. Regina Lewis-Ward Georgia’s 109th District

Rep. Clint Crowe Georgia’s 110th District

Rep. Dave Belton Georgia’s 112th District

Rep. Sharon Henderson Georgia’s 113th District

Sen. Brian Strickland Georgia’s 17th District

Sen. Tonya Anderson Georgia’s 43rd District

Learn more about Newton County’s General Assembly delegates at www.legis.ga.gov.

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NEWTON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

Marcello Banes Chairman

Stan Edwards Commissioner District 1

The Newton County Board of Commissioners is responsible for establishing county policies and for setting the county budget. The board adopts the county budget and authorizes expenditures. The board also approves or denies zoning throughout the county.

Six members constitute the Board of Commissioners. The county is divided

T. Demond Mason Commissioner District 2

Alana Sanders Commissioner District 3

into five commission districts. The district commissioners are elected by district and the chairman is elected countywide. They all serve staggered four-year terms.

All work sessions at board meetings are called and posted as needed. Agendas of all meetings are made available through the county clerk’s office.

J.C. Henderson Commissioner District 4

Ronnie Cowan Commissioner District 5

The Board of Commissioners meets every first and third Tuesday of each month at the Historic Courthouse on the Covington Square, located at 1124 Clark Street.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1527 Covington, GA 30015 Phone: 770-784-2000

Newton County

Our Vision: Newton County is a Thriving Community United Through Strong Relationships and Partnerships.

26 | Newcomer’s Guide

CITY OF COVINGTON

Steve Horton Mayor

Charika Davis Council Post 2 West Ward

Susie Keck Council Post 1 East Ward

Anthony Henderson Council Post 3 West Ward

Fleeta Baggett Council Post 2 East Ward

Don Floyd Council Post 3 East Ward

Kenneth Morgan Council Post 1 West Ward

The Covington City Council meets every first and third Monday night at 6:30 p.m. inside the council’s meeting room at city hall, located at 2194 Emory Street NW. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1527 Covington, GA 30015 Phone: 770-385-2000 Email: questions@cityofcovington.org

Newcomer’s Guide | 27

CITY OF MANSFIELD

G.W. Davis Jr. Mayor

Helen Robertson Council Post 2

Marty Smallwood Council Post 1

Blair Northen Council Post 3

Mansfield City Council meetings are held the second Monday of each month, with work sessions the first Monday, inside the Mansifeld Community Center.

Council posts 4 and 5 are currently vacant.

City hall is located at 3146 State Hwy 11.

Mailing Address: City of Mansfield PO Box 35 3146 Hwy 11 S. Mansfield, GA 30055-0035 Phone: 770-786-7235

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TOWN OF NEWBORN

Gregg Ellwanger Mayor

Robert Bratton Council Post 1

Cain Williamson Council Post 3

Tom Krieger Council Post 2

Martha Ellwanger Council Post 4

Town of Newborn

P.O. Box 247, Newborn, GA 30056 770-787-1660 www.newbornga.com

Newborn Town Council meetings are held the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m., at town hall, located at 4224 State Hwy. 142. Work sessions are scheduled as needed.

Mailing Address: ​P.O. Box 247 Newborn, GA 30056 Phone: 770-787-1660

“A Town with Characters” Mayor: Gregg Ellwanger Mayor Pro Tem: Tom Krieger

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Council Members: Rob Bratton, Martha Ellwanger,Cain Williamson Clerk: Elisa Rowe Assistant Clerk: Leata Sears Public Works Department: Donald Clement & Darren Mitchell

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CITY OF OXFORD

David Eady Mayor

Lynn Bohanan Council Post 1

George Holt Council Post 2

The Oxford City Council meets every first Monday of the month and holds a work session every third Monday at city hall at 110 W. Clark Street.

Phone: 770-786-7004 Email: comments@oxfordgeorgia.org

Laura McCanless Council Post 3

Mike Ready Council Post 4

Welcome

THE RE S I D E N T S , T H E M A Y O R , A N D THE CITY C O U N C I L M E M B E R S W O U L D LIKE TO W E L C O M E Y O U T O O X F O R D .

Jim Windham Council Post 5

Jeff Wearing Council Post 6

Your pet is part of your family…

OUR MISSION: To provide compassionate care for your beloved companions.

Wheeler PETuary David S. Eady, Mayor Council Members: Lynn Bohanan, George Holt, Laura McCanless, Mike Ready, Jim Windham, and Jeff Wearing 770-786-7004 www.oxfordgeorgia.org 110 West Clark Street

30 | Newcomer’s Guide

Our Family Serving Yours 78 Chamisa Rd, Covington, GA 30016 www.wheelerpetuary.com

470-205-3000 SERVING 6 COUNTIES

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CITY OF PORTERDALE

Arline Chapman Mayor

Kay Piper Council Post 1

Linda Finger Council Post 2 Porterdale City Council meets for regular meetings the first Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m., with work sessions on the second Tuesday and fourth Thursday, at City Hall, 2400 Main St., Porterdale, GA 30014.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 667 Porterdale, GA 30070 Phone: 770-786-2217

Michael Patterson Council Post 3

Jill Minnoia Council Post 4

Lowell Chambers Council Post 5

Paddle Your Way to Porterdale, Georgia

LITTER CONTROL PROGRAM

LITTER...IT COSTS YOU.

Adopt-aMile Any family, organization, business, club, or other group can adopt-a-mile!

Participating groups agree to clean up roadside litter along their adopted mile 4 times per year.

Signs are erected to advertise and acknowledge groups who participate.

Visit KNB’s website:

www.keepnewtonbeautiful.org or call to sign up or to get more information Keep Newton Beautiful Covington, G 30014 Phone: 770-

-20 5

Email: newtonclean@co.newton.ga.us

Newcomer’s Guide | 31

th

CITY OF SOCIAL CIRCLE

David Keener Mayor

Traysa Price Council Post 1

Nathan Boyd Council Post 3

Tyson Jackson Council Post 2

Steve Shelton Council Post 4

The Social Circle City Council meets regularly on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. inside the City Community Room located at 138 East Hightower Trail.

City hall (pictured left) is located at 166 N Cherokee Road.

Mailing Address: P O Box 310 166 N Cherokee Road Social Circle, GA 30025 Phone: 770-464-2380 Email: manager@socialcirclega.gov

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Stop in and browse our large selection of name brand, quality hardware and software!

We specialize in upgrades, computer & printer repair, service & networking!

We sell new & used computers, laptops & printers.

NEWTON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION

Samantha Fuhrey Superintendent

Trey Bailey District 1

The Newton County Board of Education generally meets twice each month, once in a work session and once in a regularly scheduled meeting. Exceptions occur during the months of April, June and July, when the Board meets only once. The Board of Education adopts a meeting schedule each January and those dates are published by the Newton County School System Public Relations Department.

Board work sessions and meetings are

Eddie Johnson District 2

Shakila Henderson-Baker District 3

held at 7 p.m. and are open to the public.

The Board meets in executive session at 6 p.m. prior to each work session and monthly meeting. Executive sessions are not open to the public as they include discussions on potential litigation, personnel issues, and future real estate acquisitions. Other called Board meetings are scheduled as necessary to approve bids, hear appeals, and discuss budget issues and other matters that require immediate Board action. Board mem-

· Georgia Superintendent of the Year and National Finalist

Anderson Bailey District 4

Abigail Coggin District 5

bers also attend training workshops and district and state meetings throughout the school year.

Meetings are held at the Newton County School System Administrative Services building, located at 2109 Newton Drive NE, Covington, Georgia 30014, and begin promptly at 7 p.m.

Contact: 770-787-1330

United Problem Solvers

· Cameras in Classrooms · 1st STEM Accredited College & Career Academy in the State · AdvancED Accredited · High School Graduation Rate Surpasses State · Advanced Placement Honor Schools · Numerous Regional, State, National Award Winning Students in Academics, Athletics, and the Arts Newton County School System 2109 Newton Drive NE • Covington 770-787-1330 www.newtoncountyschools.org

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VOTING

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Get involved with area politics ­— register to vote, cast a ballot REGISTER TO VOTE Georgia residents have several convenient methods of registering to vote: • Download and complete a Voter Registration Application at https://www. co.newton.ga.us/DocumentCenter/ View/83/Georgia-Voter-Registration-Application-PDF. • If you have a valid driver’s license or identification card issued by the Georgia Department of Driver Services, you may use the State of Georgia’s Online Voter Registration System at https://registertovote.sos.ga.gov/GAOLVR/welcome. do#no-back-button.

• “Motor Voter” registration is available when you renew or apply for a Georgia driver’s license through the Georgia Department of Driver Services.

• Voter registration applications are available at the county elections office, public libraries, city halls, public assistance offices, and recruitment offices.

The completed application may be mailed to: Newton County Board of Elections P.O. Box 1274 Covington, GA 30015 Voter Qualifications To register to vote in the state of Geor34 | Newcomer’s Guide

gia, you must be: • A citizen of the United States • At least 17-1/2 years of age to register and 18 years of age to vote • A legal resident of Georgia and the county in which you wish to vote You may not register to vote if you are currently: • Judicially determined to be mentally incompetent • Serving a sentence for conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude Mail-in Voter Registration Application All Mail-in voter registration applications must be postmarked prior to the state voter registration deadline election date to be processed for a voter to be able to vote in the upcoming election day. (see current election calendar for the voter registration deadline) Anyone registering to vote for the first time in Georgia by mail must include proper identification with the application. Please enclose a copy of one of the following with your application: • A copy of a current and valid photo ID • A copy of a current bank statement • A copy of a current government check or paycheck

• A copy of a current utility bill • Other government document that shows your name and address Voter Registration Card Once an application is processed and accepted, a voter registration card will be sent to you. This card will provide you with your voting information. You can also visit the My Voter Page to verify the status of your voter registration and print your voter card.

Every time you move, or have a name change, it is your responsibility to update your registration information at least 30 days prior to any coming election to be eligible to vote your current district. (No updates provided by the voter will have the voter still registered under their old address information) WAYS TO VOTE Absentee Ballot Application Voters can download and print an Absentee Ballot Application at https:// www.co.newton.ga.us/DocumentCenter/View/4119 from the Secretary of State’s website or request an application from the Board of Elections Office.

A request for an absentee ballot may be received no earlier than 78 days prior

to date of the primary or election, or runoff election. No reason is required when requesting a ballot by mail.

The request for an absentee ballot must be in writing and include the following: • Address • Date of birth • The date of the election for which the voter is requesting a ballot • Voter’s name • The voter’s signature Counties must have have at least one absentee ballot drop boxes. Newton County’s ballot dropbox is located in the front office of the Board of Elections Office. (Open to the public during advance voting weeks 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. only) Exception: During an emergency declared by the Governor pursuant to Code Section 38-3-51, drop boxes may be located outside the office of the board of registrars or absentee ballot clerk or outside of locations at which advance voting is taking place, subject to the other limitations of this Code section.

During any Primary elections, the request must also state the voter’s party preference.

MAIL-IN ABSENTEE BALLOT If a person votes by mail, identification information is required to be provided with the absentee ballot application. (O.C.G.A. 21-2-386) To be timely received, an application for an absentee-by-mail ballot shall be received by the elections office has to be no later than 11 days prior to the any election.. (All absentee applications are date and time stamped when received in office) The Board of Elections Office is at: 1113 Usher Street Suite 103 P.O. Box 1274 Covington, GA 30015 Fax: 770-784-2057 elections@co.newton.ga.us EARLY OR ADVANCE VOTING Beginning on the fourth Monday prior to Election Day, voters can cast a ballot in person at the Board of Elections Office during regular business hours.

The office is open Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Voters must complete and sign an application and provide one of the six acceptable forms of identification. View

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identification requirements. No reason is required to cast a ballot in person.

The last day to vote early is the Friday prior to any election. After that day, voters would need to go to their assigned polling location on Election Day in order to vote.

ELECTION DAY On Election Day, voters can cast a ballot at their polling location between the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters will be required to present one of the six acceptable forms of identification. View Identification Requirements. Voters can visit the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page to locate their polling place.

Voters who do not have proper identification will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot that will only be accepted if the voter provides the required identification to the Board of Elections and Registration Office within the time period for verifying provisional ballots.

For more information, call 770-7842055 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or visit https://www.co.newton. ga.us/167/Board-of-Elections-Registration.

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Celebrating 128 Years of Service to the Community We Call Home Newcomer’s Guide | 35

PUBLIC SAFETY POLICE DEPARTMENTS

Covington Police Department Stacey Cotton, Chief 13183 Harland Dr NE 770-786-7605

Porterdale Police Department Jason Cripps, Chief 2602 Main St., Porterdale 770-786-2226

FIRE & RESCUE SERVICES

Oxford Police Department Mark Anglin, Chief 110 W. Clark St., Oxford 770-788-1390

Social Circle Police Department Will Brinkley, Chief 138 E Hightower Trail, Social Circle; 770-464-2366

SHERIFF’S OFFICE Newton County Sheriff’s Office Ezell Brown, Sheriff 15151 Alcovy Road NE, Covington General Information: 678-625-1400 Jail Information: 678-625-1420

Newton County Fire Service Mike Conner, Chief 4136-A U.S. Hwy. 278 Covington, GA 30014 770-784-2116

Covington Fire Department Jeremy Holmes, Chief 2101 Pace St., Covington 770-385-2100

Social Circle Fire Department Ken Zaydel, Chief 165 East Hightower Trail, Social Circle 770-464-0621

36 | Newcomer’s Guide

911 CALL CENTER

Covington – Newton County 911 Center 11234 Alcovy Road NE, Covington Emergency: 9-1-1 Non-Emergency: 678-342-8790

NewtoN CouNty Sheriff’S offiCe

COMMITMENT. LOYALTY. SACRIFICE. DEDICATION.

Follow us on social media! @newtonsheriffga

The Newton County Sheriff’s Office is a full-service, state certified and nationally accredited law enforcement agency dedicated and committed to enforcing the laws enacted for the protection of the lives, persons, property, health and morals of all citizens in Newton County, Georgia.

15151 Alcovy Road • Covington, Georgia 30014 678-625-1403 • www.newtonsheriffga.org

Ezell Brown, Sheriff

BULLSEYE ACCOUNTING SERVICES INC. “Where Accuracy Counts”

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38 | Newcomer’s Guide

Medical experts aplenty in Newton County GNR Public Health The Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County Health Departments operate the Newton County Health Center at 8203 Hazelbrand Road in Covington.

The center can be reached at 770-7869086 or by fax at 770-786-0715. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For services offered and more information, visit gnrhealth.com.

Willing Helpers Medical Clinic The clinic at 4186 Mill St. NW in Covington is an appointment-only, charitable medical clinic.

Those served must have a chronic illness, live in Newton County, and make an appointment to be seen.

They also must be age 18 or older, have no health insurance of any kind, and have household income within 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, according to the clinic’s website.

A household is defined as the patient,

HEALTH CARE

the patient’s legally married spouse and any children in the patient’s custody under 18.

The clinic does not perform dental care, does not prescribe narcotic medicines or pain management drugs, and does offer orthopedic or OB/GYN care.

For appointments and more information, call 678-625-8317 or visit willinghelpersclinic.com.

Piedmont Newton Hospital Piedmont Newton Hospital has served Newton County for more than 60 years and joined the Piedmont Healthcare system in October 2015.

Located at 5126 Hospital Drive NE in Covington, Piedmont Newton is a 97-bed, acute-care, community hospital which offers 24-hour emergency services, women’s services and general medical/surgical services.

It is a not-for-profit organization, which means hospital earnings go directly back into maintaining and

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improving services and facilities and to educational outreach, according to information from Piedmont.

More than 600 employees, 250 physicians staff the hospital.

Piedmont Newton is part of a health care system based in Atlanta featuring 19 hospitals, 55 Piedmont Urgent Care centers, 25 QuickCare locations, 1,875 Piedmont Clinic physician practices and more than 2,800 clinic members.

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EDUCATION

James Amos, left, a member of Eastside High School’s Class of 2022, celebrates with a teacher after getting his diploma.

File | The News

Emphasis on learning is evident across Newton County N ewton County is home to some of the best educational institutions in the state of Georgia.

NEWTON COUNTY SCHOOLS SYSTEM East Newton Elementary School 2286 Dixie Road Phone: (770) 784-2973 Fax: (770) 784-2976 Fairview Elementary School 3325 Fairview Road Phone: (770) 786-2636 Fax: (770) 784-2938 Flint Hill Elementary School 1300 Airport Road Phone: (770) 784-2969 Fax: (770) 784-2994

Heard-Mixon Elementary School 14110 Highway 36 Phone: (770) 784-2980 Fax: (770) 784-2984 Live Oak Elementary School 500 Kirkland Road Phone: (678) 625-6654 Fax: (678) 625-6021 Livingston Elementary School 40 | Newcomer’s Guide

3657 Highway 81 South Phone: (770) 784-2930 Fax: (678) 625-6230

Mansfield Elementary School 45 East Third Avenue Phone: (770) 784-2948 Fax: (770) 784-2995

Middle Ridge Elementary School 11649 South Covington Bypass Road Phone: (770)-385-6463 Fax: (770) -385-6466 Oak Hill Elementary School 6243 Highway 212 Phone: ( 770) 385-6906 Fax: (770) 385-6069 Porterdale Elementary School 45 Ram Drive Phone: (770) 784-2928 Fax: (770) 784-2993 Rocky Plains Elementary School 5300 Highway 162 South Phone: (770) 784-4987 Fax: (770) 784-4988 South Salem Elementary School 5355 Salem Road

Phone: (678) 342-5907 Fax: (678) 342 -5908

West Newton Elementary School 13387 Brown Bridge Road Phone: (770) 385-6472 Fax: (770) 385-6475 Clements Middle School 66 Jack Neely Road Phone: (770) 784-2992 Fax: (770) 784-2992 Cousins Middle School 8187 Carlton Trail N.W. Phone: (770) 786-7311 Fax: (770) 784-2991

Indian Creek Middle School 11051 South Covington By-Pass Road Phone: ( 770) 385-6453 Fax: (770) 385-6456 Liberty Middle School 5225 Salem Road Phone: (678) 625-6617 Fax: (678) 625-6200 Veterans Memorial Middle School 13357 Brown Bridge Road Phone: (770) 385-6893 Fax: (770) 385-6899

Alcovy High School 14567 Ga. Hwy. 36 Phone: (770) 784-4995 Fax: (770) 784-4996 Eastside High School 140 Ga. Hwy. 142 Phone: (770) 784-2920 Fax: (770) 784-2918 Newton High School 1 Ram Way Phone: (770) 787-2250 Fax: ( 770) 784-2957 Newton County Theme School at Ficquett 2207 Williams Street Phone: ( 770) 784-2959 Fax: (770) 784 -2963 Mainstay Academy 1110 N. Emory Street Phone: (770) 385-6878 Fax: (678) 625-6287 Newton College & Career Academy 144 Ram Drive Phone: 678-625 -6769 Fax: (678) -625-6041 RISE Academy 10714 Bypass Road, Suite 3 Phone: (678) 625-6826 Fax: (678) 625-6370 ra.newtoncountyschools.org

Grace Christian Academy 1705 Access Rd Phone: (770) 385-7390 Montessori School of Covington 4108 Summers St. Phone: (770) 788-7779 montessori-covington.org Peachtree Academy 14101 Highway 278 E Phone: (770) 860-8900 peachtreeacademy.com Providence Classical Christian School 252 Byrd Road, Oxford Phone: (770) 788-6618 NEWTON COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM The Covington Branch Library is a full-service public library and serves as the headquarters for the Newton County Library System in Covington.

7116 Floyd St. NE., Covington Phone: 770-787-3231 Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Wednesday and Friday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

The Jeanette Adams Zeigler Library located in Newborn City Hall offers limited services including borrowing books and movies, story times for children,

computers for public use and internet access as well as answering general questions.

4224 Highway 142, Newborn Phone: 770-787-1126 Monday and Wednesday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Porter Memorial Branch Library is a full-service branch of the Newton County Library System. The 18,000-squarefoot LEED building is named in honor of James Hyde Porter and features adult and children books, audio books, DVDs and music CDs, public computing with internet access, plus a teen room, quiet room, study rooms, meeting room and conference room.

6191 Highway 212, Covington Phone: 678-729-1388 Monday and Wednesday 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Thursday, Saturday and Sunday 1 p.m. 5 p.m.

Tuesday 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

UNCLE REMUS LIBRARY SYSTEM W.H. Stanton Memorial Library 407 W. Hightower Trail, Social Circle Phone: 770-464-2444 Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. 6 p.m.

Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Sunday 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.

COLLEGES Oxford College of Emory University 110 Few Circle Phone: (770) 784-8888 oxford.emory.edu/ Georgia State University – Newton Campus 239 Cedar Lane Phone: (770) 278-1200 perimeter.gsu.edu/about-perimeter-college/our-campuses/newton/ Georgia Piedmont Technical College Newton Campus 16200 Alcovy Road Phone: (404) 297-9522 gptc.edu/future-students/locations/ PRIVATE SCHOOLS Alpha Omega Preparatory Academy 3824 Salem Road Phone: (770) 788-7100 alphaomegaprep.com/ Covington Academy 396 Elks Club Road Phone: (678) 625-9025 covingtonacademy.com

The Covington Branch Library is a full-service public library and serves as the headquarters for the Newton County Library System in Covington.

File | The News

Newcomer’s Guide |41

C t t e

THINGS TO DO

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O

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Twice a year, the Covington Regional ballet offers productions — “The Nutcracker” and a contemporary piece in the fall, with another production in the spring.

File | The News

Explore Newton County’s arts scene N ewton County offers dance, music, theater and galleries that enhance the cultural life and entertainment offerings in the area.

The Arts Association in Newton County is a nonprofit umbrella organization for a variety of performance arts groups and also provides arts programming and education and hosts free concerts at Legion Field and on the Covington Square.

The organization has served Newton County for more than 30 years and now serves eight counties and over 50 schools through its programs and concerts, becoming a regional provider of the arts.

The organization is located at 1106 Washington St.,in Covington. For more information, call 770-786-8188 or visit https://www.newtoncountyarts.org.

DANCE • Covington Regional Ballet Founded in 2001, the Covington Regional Ballet (CRB) presents high quality dance programming that provide local dancers with pre-professional instruction and performance opportunities. Twice a year, the ballet offers productions — The Nutcracker and a contemporary piece in the fall, with another production in the spring. The CRB strives to entertain, educate and inspire audiences of all ages, engaging the community in a celebration of the arts through a wide variety of dance programming. Visit www.covingtonre-

42 | Newcomer’s Guide

Since 1993, the Newton County Community Band is composed of volunteer musicians of all ages who enjoy weekly rehearsals and present free community concerts throughout the year, including a holiday and spring concert, as well as an annual patriotic concert during Stars and Stripes Fest on the Covington Square.

File | The News

gionalballet.com.

MUSIC • Newton County Community Band Since 1993, the Newton County Community Band is composed of volunteer musicians of all ages who enjoy weekly rehearsals and present free community concerts throughout the year, including a holiday and spring concert, as well as an annual patriotic concert during Stars and Stripes Fest on the Covington Square. The band is made up of volunteers. For more information, visit https://www.newtoncountyarts.org/ nccb.

• Oxford Singing Children, Youth Singers Students in fourth through seventh grades audition for the Oxford Singing Children’s Choir, which provides them with basic music skills and performance experience, while building friendships and learning the benefit of teamwork.

Students in eighth through 12th grade can audition for the Oxford Youth Singers, which enhances musical skills and offers experience in musical theater and choral performance.

Oxford Singing Children and Oxford Youth Singers perform Christmas in

t r y c O u o h f M S t

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Covington in December, and collaborate to present a musical in the spring. Auditions for new members are in August of each year.

For more information, visit https:// www.newtoncountyarts.org/oxfordsingers.

• Newton County Youth Strings & Orchestra The Newton County Youth Strings specializes in using the Suzuki method of teaching, which is based on the principle that all children possess the ability to play an instrument. Private lessons in violin, viola, and cello begin at age 4. For more information, visit https://www. newtoncountyarts.org/ncys.

• Porterdale’s Tuba Christmas concert It’s a holiday celebration featuring tuba players and their festively decorated instruments and it happens every year in Porterdale, and more than 200 cities nationally and internationally.

Open to all levels of players, musicians usually register at city hall on the day of the concert. That’s followed by an hour-long rehearsal, and then it’s a free public performance at the Porter Memorial Gym Amphitheater on Main Street. For more information, visit www. tubachristmas.com.

OXFORD COLLEGE The Artistic/Lyceum Events series at Oxford College brings experts and performers to campus for lectures, concerts and theatrical presentations. All events are free, unless otherwise noted, and open to the public, though seating is limited. For more information, call 770-784-8888.

THEATER • Theatre Covington Theatre Covington provides acting classes for kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as community theatre open to all skill levels. For more information, visit https://www.newtoncountyarts.org/tc-oac.

• The Social Circle Theater Committed to providing the facilities and human resources for quality, affordable family entertainment, the Social Circle Theater is a non-profit organization founded in 2000. Founders Bob and Mabel Standridge believed the theater could preserve the town’s history and unify the community through storytelling and folklore. The theater has entertained and shared the history of Social Circle ever since.

Main Theater is at 650 Ashley Drive; Theater Annex is 169 Thurman Baccus Road. For more information, call 770464-2269 or visit http://www.socialcircletheater.com.

• The Well Diggers The Well Diggers is a perfor-

A young artist paints a zebra during an “Arty Party” at WildArt in Covington.

Special to The News

mance-based troupe established in 2008 for the young adults of the Social Circle Theater. They meet weekly and focus on singing, dancing and acting skills.

Their calendar year follows the public school calendars. he Well Diggers have won awards at the MTI Junior Theater Festival and Access Broadway. They typically perform in two productions a year in the theater. They also take these shows to schools, local nursing homes and hospitals for field trips.

For more information, visit http:// www.socialcircletheater.com/well-diggers.

VISUAL ARTS • Heartscapes Art Gallery Heartscapes Studio and Gallery sells oil paints, mediums, canvas, and brushes. For more information, contact 770385-5834.

• True Colours Youth Art Exhibit Each March, the artistic talents of local art students are celebrated and exhibited in the community. Art teachers from the Newton County School District select up to 10 pieces of artwork created

by their students for display.

• Southern Heartland Arts Southern Heartland Arts, Inc. is a nonprofit supporting the visual arts in Newton County and is one of the oldest visual art guilds east of Metro Atlanta.

Located at 1132 Monticello St. SW, Covington, GA 30014. For more information, call 770-788-8799 or visit http://southernheartlandart.com.

• WildArt WildArt is an innovative art studio in the heart of the Covington Square that represents a number of local artists who show their finest work. The inventory features a wide variety of paintings and artistic media in many styles, including figurative, abstract, landscape, still life, wood turning, hand-spun writing instruments and many others.

It offers classes and workshops and recently added the HELLO Covington Tour for children. WildArt is at 1105 Washington St. SW in Covington. For more information, visit WildArtLLC on Facebook or visit https://www.hellocovtour.com.

Newcomer’s Guide | 43

Find fun outdoors through area’s plethora of recreation offerings N ewton County is home to a variety of public recreational facilities offering camping, boating and outdoor sports opportunities.

Jackson Lake is a 4,750-acre impoundment lake owned and operated by Georgia Power Co. The Alcovy, South and Yellow Rivers meet near Jackson to form this lake, which is heavily developed with residences along its shores but is popular with boaters and skiers during the summer months.

Lake Jackson Lake Resources Office is at 180 Dam Road in Jackson.

For more information, call 404-9544044 or visit www.georgiapower.com/ community/environment/lakes-rivers/ central-georgia-lakes.html.

Newton Factory Shoals Park is operated by Newton County Parks and Recreation and is a 450-acre nature park, situated along the Alcovy River at 450 Newton Factory Bridge Road in south Newton County.

Open daily, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., for picnicking, camping and hiking.

Rafting, canoeing and swimming are available though no lifeguard is on duty so they are done at the user’s own risk.

The park has a campground with nine primitive campsites available to rent.

The campground contains a bath house with hot showers and clean restrooms.

Campers should contact the area manager prior to setting up camp at 678699-2809.

For more information, call 770-7876670.

Clybel Wildlife Management Area, Marben Public Fishing Area and Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center are on 6,400 acres near Mansfield in southeast Newton County.

It offers a variety of facilities, activities and programs, including 28 lodge-style guest rooms, primitive campground, a banquet hall, archery range, shooting range, wildlife management area, public fishing area, boat ramp. visitor center and museum.

Available activities also include bird watching, horseback riding, hiking and hunting.

Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center is 44 | Newcomer’s Guide

There are several rivers, lakes, parks and reservoirs across Newton County for newcomers to explore.

File | The News

managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, is located at 54 Elliott Trail.

The facility hosts variety of educational programs for K–12 audiences, scouts, families and adults. All programs are designed to be hands-on and explore the nature world.

Call 770-784-3059 or visit georgiawildlife.com/clybel-wma or georgiawildlife. com/charlie-elliott-wildlife-center for more information.

Lake Varner park and reservoir offers opportunities for fishing, picknicking or nature watching.

It is operated by Newton County Water Resources, which is a division of the Newton County Board of Commissioners.

The main function of Lake Varner is to serve as a drinking water supply for the residents of Newton and Walton counties.

Facilities include two covered picnic pavilions with picnic tables, children’s playground with swings, several picnic sites with charcoal grills, dual launch boat ramp; paved and primitive nature trails, open field areas for recreation, numerous accessible bank fishing areas, and ADA accessible fishing pier.

No swimming, alcoholic beverages, or use of gas-powered mounted engines on boats are allowed. For more information about regulations, visit www.co.newton. ga.us/243/Lake-Varner-Regulations.

It is free to Newton and Walton County residents; and $5 per boat and $5 per vehicle for all others. Hours are

7 a.m. to 9 p.m., April through October; and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., November through March.

For more information, call 770-7842049 or visit www.co.newton.ga.us/241/ Lake-Varner.

Newton County Recreation Department is located at 6185 Turner Lake Road in Covington. The department serves all Newton County and provides a variety of activities for people of all ages.

It oversees Baker Field, Beaver Park, City Pond Park, Denny Dobbs Park, Fairview Community Park, Mary Louise Fowler Park, Miracle Field Complex, Wolverine Field, Pactiv Field, Stone Road Complex, Trail Blazer park and Turner Lake. It also is the home of the Miracle League each summer. For more information on the Newton County Recreation Department, call 770-786-4373 or visit https://newtonrecreation.com/432/ Parks-Recreation.

Covington Family YMCA is located at 2140 Newton Drive in Covington and offers an array of services available to the Newton County community. For youth in the area, there are summer camps, group exercises, YMCA 360, swim lessons, soccer training, early learning as well as an assortment of after school programs. YMCA in Covington offers health assestments, personal coaching and weight loss management in addition to its classes and programs for people with chronic disease. For more information, visit https://ymcaatlanta.org/ ymca-locations/covington/.

A Main Street Trolleys tour gets underway after tourists climb aboard the trolley at the Covington Square.

File | The News

Learn more about community’s history with guided tours Covington Ghost Tours Covington Ghost Tours consists of multiple walking tours around the historic sites of Covington. The walking tour will last approximately 2-1/2 hours.

“Experienced ghost guides will give you a walk around a city rich with haunted history, while you get a taste of the ‘Hollywood of the South,’” according to information from host WildArt Gallery. “As you visit a multitude of haunted sites, you will visit filming locations for television shows such as “In the Heat of the Night,” “Dukes of Hazzard,” and “The Vampire Diaries.”

Information from WildArt stated, “The Covington Ghost Tours differ from most haunted tours because many of our locations have been investigated by paranormal experts that are associated with T.A.P.S. (The Atlantic Paranormal Society).

“You will also witness actual video accounts from people who have experienced paranormal activity firsthand at various tour stops.”

WildArt is at 1105 Washington St. SW

in Covington. For more information, visit https://www.covingtonghosttours. com.

HELLO Covington Tours WildArt Gallery HELLO Covington Tours are all about “helping educate local lovers of Covington.” There are five types of tours to choose from including the topics of history, fine art, music and culinary. Learn more at hellocovtour.com.

Main Street Trolleys tours More than 40 filming locations of movies and TV shows filmed in Covington and Newton County featured on its tours, including “Vampire Diaries,” “Dukes of Hazzard” and “In the Heat of the Night.” Some focus solely on the popular “Vampire Diaries” and “Originals” spin-off.

For more information, visit https:// www.mainstreettrolleys.com.

Mystic Falls Tours Two-hour tour of iconic locations of

“Vampire Diaries” like the Clocktower, the town square, the Gilbert House, Caroline Forbes’ House, Lockwood Mansion, as well as all things Mystic Falls and many more scenes from all eight seasons of the show.

“Legacies” fans will also enjoy this tour with locations like Malivore’s portal, the famous ‘80s episode and more.

This is a tram tour with moderate walking. Wheelchair accessible by request with notice ahead of time. Tours begin at 1143 Oak St. in Covington. For more information, visit https://www. mysticfallstours.com/tours.

Porterdale History Tour Three different tours available: Ghost Tour on Filming Locations at 1 p.m.; Mill Village History and Culture Experience at 3 p.m. and Fun, Creepy Glow Ghost Tour & Investigation at 8:30 p.m. Each tour is between 1.5 to 2.5 hours. All are considered family friendly and consist of walking outdoors. Visit porterdalehistorytour.com to learn more.

Newcomer’s Guide | 45

A&A’s Outlet

Looking for a Bargain?

Household Essentials, Makeup, Furniture, Heaters/Air Conditioners, Seasonal Items & More.

Inventory weekly from Home Depot, Walmart, Target, Lowes & More.

Stop by and Save $$!!

Covington residents choose from a selection of produce at the Covington Farmers Market.

Special to The News

From farm to table — take advantage of local farmers markets Covington Farmers Market In its inaugural year, the Covington Farmers Market is slated for the first and third Saturdays in May through October from 9 a.m. to noon outside the Welcome Center at 1143 Oak Street SE in Covington.

Vendors specialize in fresh fruits/ vegetables, animal byproducts, plants/ cut flowers, baked goods/bread, bath and body products, pet food and treats, meats and more.

Learn more at cityofcovington.org.

City of Oxford Farmers Market • City of Oxford Farmers Market on the City Green on Emory Street (Georgia Hwy. 81) Thursdays and Fridays,

M,T,T,F,S 10-4 Shop online ANYTIME at aandasoutlet.ecwid.com 10152 WASHINGTON ST SW COVINGTON, GA 30014

470-444-1010

46 | Newcomer’s Guide

noon to dark; and Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The market is open to farmers, growers, artists, makers and craftsmen from Newton, Rockdale, Walton, Morgan, Jasper, Butts and Henry counties.

Vendors are responsible for their own displays. Space for each vendor display Is limited to a 10-foot by 10foot area. Call 770-786-7004 if more space needed.

They must grow their own produce or make their own items. Vendors must state in writing the items they intend to sell.

For more information, visit oxfordgeorgia.org.

Get involved in various civic, political, charitable groups Benevolent Protective Order of Elks Lodge 1806 7:30 p.m. first and third Tuesdays, 135 Crowell Road, Covington

Oxford Lions Club Noon on firs Thursdays, 7 p.m. on third Thursdays, Allen Memorial United Methodist Church, Oxford

Covington First United Methodist Church Food Pantry Location: 1113 Conyers St SW, Covington, GA 30014 Phone: 770-786-7305 Hours: Monday-Wednesday, 2-4 p.m.

Pilot Club of Covington 7 p.m. on most first Thursdays, sometimes third Thursdays, First Presbyterian Church of Covington

Covington Garden Club 10 a.m. on first Wednesdays, meet at various homes of members Covington Kiwanis Club 12:30 p.m. Thursday for lunch, Covington First United Methodist Church Covington Lions Club 7:30 p.m. second and fourth Thursdays, 3120 Conyers St., Covington Covington Women’s Club 9:30 a.m. second Tuesdays, Historic Women’s Club building on College St. Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Family Camping Bert Adams Scout Camp Location: 218 Scout Road Covington, Georgia 30016 Email: BertAdams@AtlantaBSA.org Phone: 770-956-5687 Golden Fleece Masonic Lodge No. 6 Dinner 6:30 p.m., meeting 7:30 p.m., second and fourth Tuesdays, except second Tuesday only in December, 1104 Clark St. SW, Covington Newton County Democrat Party Email: newtongadems@gmail.com Visit: newtongeorgiadems.org Newton County Republican Party Mail: Newton County Republican Party, Inc. 30 Glynn Isle Dr. Covington, GA 30016 E-mail: info@newtongop.org Visit: newtongop.org

Rotary Club of Covington Noon Tuesday for lunch, Covington First United Methodist Church Satsuki Garden Club 10:30 a.m. second Tuesdays, Newton County Public Library Salvation Army of Covington Location: 5193 Washington St SW, Covington, GA 30014 Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Call: 770-786-2107 Visit: salvationarmyusa.org/usn/

DID YOU KNOW…

VOLUNTEERING A FEW HOURS A MONTH can forever change a child’s story.

Be that volunteer!

Southern Heartland Women’s Club 4 p.m. on first Sundays, Southern Heartland Art Gallery on the Covington Square Covington Veterans Affairs Clinic Location: 10155 Eagle Drive Covington, GA 30014 Hours: M-F, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Phone: 404-321-6111 ext. 202222 American Legion Post 32 Mail: PO Box 310 Covington, GA 30015-0310 Email: rogertingler@yahoo.com Visit legion.org Meets second Thursdays at 7 p.m., 3132 Legion Drive, Covington.

DAV Newton-Rockdale Chapter 55 Mail: PO Box 932 Porterdale, GA 30070 Phone: 770-385-1498 Visit: dav.org

Newcomer’s Guide | 47

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Abbey Hospice’s 13-bed inpatient unit is located in the heart of Walton County. We provide hospice services to surrounding areas up to a 50-mile radius, including Newton, Rockdale, Morgan, and Jasper counties.

215 Azalea Court Social Circle, GA 30025 770-464-5858 www.abbeyhospice.com GA License#: 107-151-H Medicare Provider#: 11-1530

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS A&A’s Outlet - 46 Abbey Hospice - 49 Alcovy CASA - 47 Alcovy Fitness - 29 Bates Insurance Group -17 Berry’s Tree Farm - 35 Blackwell’s Market - 12 Bradley’s Bar B Que - 23 Bullseye Accounting - 37 Caldwell & Cowan Funeral Home - 5 Christie Dove Insurance - 18 City of Covington - 2 City of Mansfield - 28 City of Oxford - 30 City of Porterdale - 31 Covington Dance & More - 23 Conyers School of Ballet - 16 Edward Jones/Royce Baker - 28 Five Fields Lawn Care - 14

Fletchers Jewelry Co. - 23 Georgia Piedmont Technical College - 6 Hometown Realty - 19 JC Harwell & Son Funeral Home - 35 Keep Newton Beautiful - 31 Lawnwood Memorial Park - 5 Leeanne P. Cooper, Attorney at Law - 23 Lee’s Fashions - 22 Lester Lackey Funeral Home - 29 Linda Hays - 20 Mattress Choice - 39 Natural Path/Family Health Food Store - 21 Newton County Board of Commissioners - 26 Newton County Schools - 33 Newton County Sheriff’s Office - 37 Newton County Water & Sewer Authority - 50 Newton Federal Bank - 7 PC Afterdark - 32 Piedmont Newton Hospital - 38

Printability Signs - 27 Ramsey’s Furniture - 23 Ridge Avenue - 22 Rotary Club of Covington - 19 Shannon D. Sneed, Attorney at Law - 23 Shear Bliss - 23 Snapping Shoals EMC - 52 Southeastern Appliances - 51 Southern Heartland Art Gallery Sowing Seeds of Goodness - 3 Tavas Diner - 18 The UPS Store - 33 Town House Cafe - 22 Town of Newborn - 29 Town Square Olive Oil - 25 University Cancer and Blood Center - 48 Westmoreland’s Time Shop - 15 Wheeler Petuary - 30 Wheeler’s Cleaners - 35

Newton County Water & Sewerage Authority Our mission is to provide our customers with clean safe drinking water while reclaiming wastewater in an environmentally sound manner while focusing on cost efficiency and value oriented service.

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For more information give us a call or visit our website 770.787.1375 - NCWSA.US Community Since 2012

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